Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly is expressing strong disapproval of allegations that a representative of the Indian government may have been involved in the murder of a Canadian Sikh leader near Vancouver in June of the previous year. Canada is denouncing India’s government for its involvement in this killing.

There have been diplomatic evictions, with both countries taking action against each other’s diplomats. The capital of India, New Delhi, rejected the allegations made by the Canadian government, dismissing them as irrelevant. The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, claims that his government has “credible allegations” connecting Indian agents to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh leader who was killed in British Columbia.

The Prime Minister strongly condemns any involvement of a foreign government in the murder of a Canadian citizen; it is an unacceptable violation of Canadian sovereignty. He also called on the Indian government to cooperate in clearing up the matter, indicating that he expects India to assist the investigation and provide any necessary information. Joly said that India is the head of the Research and Analysis Wing, India’s foreign intelligence agency.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar rejected claims of involvement in Nijjar’s death and any involvement in acts of violence in Canada. They categorically denied any connections to these incidents. The Ministry said in a statement, “We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to the rule of law.”

The Prime Minister of Canada visited New Delhi for the G20 summit this month and made similar allegations to his Indian counterpart, which were completely rejected. During a meeting with Justin Trudeau, Narendra Modi complained about the activities of Sikh diaspora abroad, particularly in Canada, alleging that certain individuals or groups are providing financial support and propagating separatist ideologies aimed at reviving the Khalistan movement in India.

It appears that Canada has suspended negotiations for a free trade agreement with India. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasizes Canada’s commitment to defending “freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest” while also acting against hatred.

-Uttara Singh Chauhan